Tales of Silver and Gold
by Toshima
Summary: Awakening from his slumber after nearly 2 centuries, Naruto finds that much has changed in his absence. With new friends by his side and new enemies threatening his lands, it's time for the Demon King of the South to make his return. Naruto/Fem. Sesshomaru. Not a YAOI.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 1: Return of the King

Just as a blinding light filled the sky, a pair of eyes snapped open to reveal pools of deep crimson that watched as the light turned into hundreds of smaller fragments that soared through the sky in every direction with the brilliance of a shooting star. Golden eyebrows furrowed as the slit, crimson eyes narrowed at the sight.

"That can't be good," a pleasant voice rumbled out tiredly as razor-sharp claws shredded the foliage that had grown over their bearer's body in his years of slumber. Now free from the restricting vines, a lean, powerful form rose from the ground with a heavy yawn. Bones popped and creaked as the tall figure stretched to relieve his body from the tension of many years of disuse.

Once he felt that the tension was sufficiently relieved, the form stood to his full height of just over 6 feet tall and surveyed his surroundings. His frame was clad in an elegant kimono of deep crimson that matched his eyes quite well. An extravagant golden dragon was emblazoned upon the collar and sleeves of his kimono giving it a more regal appearance that suited his aura of superiority quite well. Over this, he wore a black cuirass that had spiked pauldrons over his shoulders. To complete his outfit, a soft, golden tail was wrapped tightly around his waist…as 8 more identical tails flowed freely behind him. His hakama were of a similar crimson color and flared outwards near the ankles just above his black boots.

Two long strands of golden hair that matched his tails framed his tanned face over his pointed ears as the rest of his hair flowed down his back to his waist. Three black lines reminiscent of whiskers marred each cheek as the wind blew several bangs from his forehead to reveal what looked like a golden sun on his forehead.

"I wonder how long I've been asleep," the man mused to himself as he calmly walked through the forest. The wind seemed to pick up slightly as he suddenly stopped in a clearing and his lips pulled back slightly revealing elongated canines. The forest was dead silent for a moment before the silence was ripped apart when the man raised his head to the sky and let out a primal roar.

**"GRRROARRRR!" **Every creature in the forest fled as fast as they could from the powerful call of the far-superior being. However, one creature could be seen moving at incredible speeds towards the source of the sound appearing as little more than a red blur.

"My lord!" the speeding ball of red fur answered as he arrived to the clearing and immediately bowed lowly. "It's so good to see you finally awake!" the creature said sincerely.

"Arise, Kurama." The now-named Kurama did as commanded and raised his head to reveal a decidedly foxlike form. Kurama was a fox demon with red-orange fur that preferred to remain in his demon form. If asked why he chose not to take his humanoid form, he would simply say that he found his demon form more comfortable and leave it at that. The only thing that really seemed to set him apart from ordinary fox demons were his size and the 4 tails that flailed about behind him. Standing at full height, Kurama came up to his master's chest.

"It is good to see you again, old friend. Tell me; how long have I been slumbering?" The blond demon gave his fellow fox a small grin that few were privileged enough to receive. Kurama gave his own grin in return as he regarded the powerful demon he has served for longer than he can remember.

"I'd say close to 2 centuries have passed already, Lord Naruto. I assume recent events are the cause of your awakening?" Naruto nodded his head in response as he took in the news and pondered his next course of action.

"Fill me in on what I have missed."

* * *

The pair of fox demons walked through the forest with no particular destination in mind as Kurama filled Naruto in on the happenings of the last 200 years.

"I see. It is…rather sad that my old friend met his end. What of his lands?" Naruto questioned in regards to the great dog general who ruled over the western lands. The two of them had been quite close when they were younger.

"His eldest child Sesshomaru was left in charge," Kurama answered.

"I see. I never had the opportunity to meet her, but he spoke of her often. And what of the swords?" Kurama tensed slightly at the question, which did not go unnoticed.

"Well, Tenseiga was left to Sesshomaru and Tetsusaiga was left to his half-breed son Inuyasha…" Kurama trailed off as he looked away. Naruto narrowed his eyes a bit as his servant left out the most crucial bit of information.

"Kurama…" Naruto said in a commanding voice leaving Kurama no choice, but to face him. "What of So'unga?" Kurama gulped audibly as his ears lowered in submission.

"I'm sorry, my lord. I do not know. Totosai and the others sealed it away fearing what would happen without you or the dog general around to wield him." A low growl emanated from Naruto's throat as his lips pulled back slightly to reveal his fangs.

**"That fire-breathing worm! He dares to seal away MY sword?!" **Kurama couldn't prevent the slight shiver that went down his spine as the youki poured off of the angry demon in waves. Without a word, Naruto vanished in a flash as he leapt to the sky towards the demon blacksmith's home. Kurama quickly took off after him hoping to get there in time to prevent the old blacksmith's death.

* * *

Totosai was lying on his bed snoring away blissfully unaware of the danger that was fast approaching. He rolled over and scratched his backside in his sleep just before his door exploded in a flurry of splinters to reveal a rather pissed-off Naruto. The noise woke the elderly demon from his sleep as he fell out of bed and froze when he noticed the furious demon lord standing where his door used to be.

"L-lord Naruto?! Y-you're awake!" Totosai quickly got to his knees and pressed his forehead to the floor. So startled by the demon lord's sudden appearance he didn't hear his question. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

**"Where…" **Totosai blinked several times not quite understanding what the man was looking for. **"WHERE IS MY SWORD YOU OLD BASTARD?!" **Naruto demanded as he instantly picked the old demon up by the throat and tossed him outside…through the wall. Realizing the very clear danger he was in, Totosai was quick to answer.

"The bone-eater's well! We sealed it and put it in the bone eater's well!" Totosai let out a sigh of relief when Naruto instantly took off to retrieve his sword. He shivered as he heard a voice call back to him.

"If he's not there, **I'll be back for you.**" The threat was clear and Totosai could only hope that the demon lord found that evil sword without incident.

"Wait, Lord Naruto!" Kurama called out; having arrived just as Naruto was leaving for the well.

* * *

Arriving at a small village near the well, Naruto looked around as he felt a strange energy nearby. It felt like what had woken him up and assumed it to be a shard of the jewel Kurama had spoken of. His attention however was drawn to something else; a scent that was similar to one he knew well.

'Hmmm, so his son is here. I suppose So'unga can wait a few minutes' Naruto thought as he followed the scent into the village. Everyone in the small village watched him warily as he made his way to the center of the village. As he approached the small hut the scent seemed to be coming from, an elderly woman with an eye patch stepped out with a bow in hand and eyed him warily.

"What is it 'ye seek, demon?" The woman asked as she held her bow tightly. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the rather foolish human and looked her over carefully. The woman was clearly a priestess, but not a very impressive one.

"Relax priestess; I'm not here to harm anyone. I merely wish to meet the son of an old friend." Kaede's grip on her bow loosened somewhat, but she kept her guard up nonetheless.

"I assume 'ye be referring to Inuyasha?" Naruto nodded his head in confirmation and before anything else was said, aforementioned half-demon walked out of the small hut followed by a girl in strange clothing Naruto had never seen before.

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha asked warily as he eyed Naruto carefully. Naruto pulled his attention away from the girl's strange attire and looked over the reason he was there. The boy definitely seemed to have his father's potential, but certainly didn't appear to possess any other similarities to his father as far as character went. He seemed brash and arrogant in contrast to his father's calm, humble personality.

"Relax, pup; I'm not your enemy. Your father was a very close friend of mine so when I caught your scent, I decided to stop by." Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched at the "pup" comment, but rose in surprise at the knowledge that this man was a friend of his father.

"Iron reaver soul stealer!" Once the initial surprise wore off, Inuyasha leapt at the blond demon and attempted to tear into him with his claws. Unperturbed by the young half-breed's claws, Naruto quickly grabbed the boy's wrist and flipped him onto his back.

"You're getting ahead of yourself there, pup. You're nowhere close to ready to face me," Naruto spoke calmly as he started walking away to get back to his original task. "Feel free to try again once you reach your father's level." Inuyasha grit his teeth in anger at that last comment and rushed after the strange man who kept just out of reach no matter how fast Inuyasha ran. Kagome ran after them screaming as they made their way towards the bone-eater's well.

Kurama sighed as he watched his master run off again just as he caught up. "Forget it," he said as he lied down on the grass to take a nap. He could find Naruto later.

* * *

"Dammit, stop dodging!" Inuyasha yelled as he continued to wildly swipe his claws at the fox demon.

"That wouldn't be a very good idea now would it?" Naruto countered with a smirk as he used the opportunity of Inuyasha overextending his arm on one of his strikes to smack him in the back of the head and sweep his feet out from under him. The result was for the boy to fall face-first into the well they had been standing next to. Naruto chuckled lightly at the stream of obscenities the boy was calling out as he fell.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out as she watched the boy fall into the well. Naruto raised an eyebrow when there was a flash of light and looked into the well. His face showed his confusion as he looked to see that the well was empty. His confusion only grew as the strange girl suddenly jumped into the well and disappeared in another flash of light.

"What the hell?" Naruto wondered aloud as he pondered what just happened. His nose suddenly picked up a familiar scent and he remembered his purpose for coming here in the first place. "So'unga!" Without any further thought, Naruto jumped into the well.

* * *

Naruto was confused. For starters, there was no sign of So'unga being in the well. Then there was the fact that instead of the sky, there was some kind of building above him. His confusion only increased when he jumped out of the well. Instead of the forest that should have been there, there was some kind of shrine.

"What is this place?" Jumping atop the torii at the stairs leading up to the shrine, Naruto was thoroughly confused. What should have been forests was a huge city of strange buildings that towered above everything into the sky and strange metal contraptions moved through the streets. Naruto was torn from his confusion and amazement when he felt a very powerful demonic energy.

'So'unga!' Naruto wasted no time in rushing as fast as he could toward the overwhelming presence.

* * *

"Inuyasha, what's wrong with you?!" Kagome asked in concern as Inuyasha was standing in a park near her family shrine with a strange sword in his hand that seemed to have somehow attached itself to him. She noticed strange markings had appeared on his face and when she saw his eyes, she shuddered in fear. His sclera were red and his sharp blue eyes had a crazed look to them. Suddenly, he started swinging the sword randomly sending out blasts of energy.

"SO'UNGA!" The crazed Inuyasha stopped moving completely as soon as he heard the voice. Kagome looked around for the source of the voice only to fall back onto her butt as the blond man from before suddenly appeared right in front of her.

**"Naruto…" **a voice that wasn't his own came from Inuyasha before his body went slack as the strange sword detached itself from his arm. Naruto calmly walked over to the downed half-breed as So'unga floated in the air above him.

"Wait! Don't touch it!" Naruto briefly glanced at the girl with a raised brow. "There's something wrong with that sword. As soon as Inuyasha touched it, it possessed him. That thing is evil!" Naruto completely disregarded the human girl and took hold of So'unga. As soon as he gripped the handle, a purple/black tornado swirled around Naruto violently. The force was strong enough to send Inuyasha and Kagome hurtling backwards. Luckily, they landed in the grass with little damage.

"So'unga is not evil," Naruto began as he turned towards the young girl and the now-recovering Inuyasha. "He's just misunderstood." Kagome looked at the blond like he was crazy; which for all she knew he probably was. Kagome was about to retort when a voice suddenly came from…the sword?

**"Foolish human. Just because the half-breed isn't strong enough to handle my power doesn't mean I'm 'evil'. Although, I _am_ known as 'the sword of hell'," **

"Well, you _are _a dragon from hell so…"

**"Hmmm, touché."**

Kagome and the now-awake Inuyasha weren't sure what to make of the situation. Inuyasha's fist clenched when the sword basically called him weak, but it was right. If it weren't for the blond man, he most likely would have gone on a rampage. As if sensing the half-breed's frustration, Naruto said something to cheer him up.

"Don't feel bad, pup; even your dad could barely touch So'unga without losing himself." Inuyasha wasn't sure how to take that. Even if he had problems doing it, his father was able to do what he had no chance of doing.

**"Tch, I only let him wield me because you told me to before you ran off to nap for 200 years you lazy bastard. If you ever try that again I'll make sure there's nothing left for you to wake up to."**

Whether the sword had done it on purpose or not, that actually made Inuyasha feel a bit better about himself. Kagome was shocked to learn that this man who looked no more than 20 was over 200 before remembering the fact that he was a demon.

"By the way, my name is Naruto; Demon King of the South. And of course, you've already met my partner here, So'unga." Naruto introduced himself as he held So'unga over his shoulder.

"So you're one of the 4 demon lords? So that means you were as strong as the old man, right?" Inuyasha asked.

**"Bahahahaha, please; that mutt wasn't even close to being on Naruto's level. There's a reason he was called a general and Naruto is the Demon King." **Naruto shook his head at his partner's antics.

"What he means, is yes I was as strong as your father. Our strengths however were not the same." Inuyasha narrowed his eyes a bit trying to figure out what he meant. "What I mean, is your father wasn't respected for his power so much as his charisma and leadership. So'unga phrased it poorly, but in a sense he was right. The title of 'General' suited your father perfectly."

"Tch, so the old man wasn't as strong as everyone makes him out to be." Inuyasha let out an "Ow" and glared at Naruto when he smacked him in the back of the head.

"You obviously didn't understand what I was saying. Your father was incredibly powerful; you wouldn't even be able to touch him as you are now." Inuyasha was about to say something, but received a look that clearly said "shut up and let me finish" from Naruto and did just that. "My point was he wasn't the strongest of the 4 individually, but there's a reason he never lost a battle over his territory. He was an expert strategist and his soldiers were willing to lay down their lives for him. Not out of fear or some misguided sense of duty, but respect."

**"Yeah yeah, the mutt was reeeal special, now can we get out of here?" **So'unga said with the boredom clear in his voice. Naruto sighed as he sheathed his partner on his left hip and started walking toward the shrine where the well was located.

"So what happened with you two while I was gone that got you so irritated?" Naruto asked to which So'unga let out a "hmph"

**"The fleabag never let me have any fun. Instead of just letting me kick everybody's ass with a dragon twister or two, he always chose to use that damn Tetsusaiga instead; that wind scar is a damn joke," **the sword answered getting a sweatdrop from Naruto at how childish the whole thing seemed.

'Perhaps it would be best if I never let So'unga fight with Inuyasha once he inherits his father's sword…'

* * *

"Welcome back, Lord Naruto." Kurama said with a yawn as he noticed his master approaching. "I see you managed to retrieve fang-face."

**"Watch it, furball. I'd be more than happy to show you a dragon twister since you seem to have forgotten how it felt the last time."**

"Enough, you two. I swear it's like I'm surrounded by kids." Kurama glared at So'unga for a moment before moving to walk to Naruto's right.

"So where are we going next?" Kurama asked. Naruto glanced at his old friend for a moment before staring ahead of him again.

"We're going home."

* * *

A/N: This is a story that I've had sitting in an old folder for a long time collecting virtual dust so I figured I might as well post it. Reading over it again, there were parts that I felt were a bit cliché and I wasn't quite content with, but oh well; I lack any real desire to actually spend time changing things and, cliché or not, it set things up well enough for how I would want the story to be in the future. Whether or not I actually continue this story will mainly be determined by the response to this chapter, so let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Since the first chapter had such a good response, I've decided that I will continue this story. Now to address a few things.

First off, in regards to the suggestion So'unga should have more abilities; I completely agree and have a few ideas lined up for that, but you won't be seeing any of that for a little while.

As for the person who stated Naruto was too friendly for a demon king, he will be kind to those close to him and the majority of the people in his territory. To others he will be mostly apathetic and somewhat condescending at times, but make no mistake; he will **NOT** be merciful.

And lastly, to the question about Naruto and Sesshomaru's appearances; Yes, Naruto looks similar to canon Sesshomaru aside from minor changes to his wardrobe and the obvious differences such as his tails and hair. As for Sesshomaru, she will indeed be very similar to her mother in appearance; which you shall see very soon.

* * *

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 2: The Fated Meeting

"What did you just say?" Naruto asked with narrowed eyes as he stopped in his tracks to turn to the elderly man who had called out to him. It had been several weeks since his awakening and he had spent that time letting the people of his lands know that their king had returned. He had been rather irritated to return to his home to find that, in his absence, swarms of demons had invaded his lands and had the audacity to lay claim to his territory. HIS! But he couldn't possibly have heard what the old man just said correctly, right? There's no way any demon could be THAT stupid.

"I'm sorry my lord, but we just received reports about a tribe of bat demons who have taken residence along the coastline and claimed it as their own. They've even set up a barrier around their nest and continue to prey upon the humans living in the nearby village." Naruto's eyebrow twitched in irritation at this news. He knew that the information would be reliable considering who had delivered it. The man may have been human, but his family had served him for generations and the man's great grandfather had been one of Naruto's favorite vassals; the young boy had been very energetic and had treated Naruto as a sort of father-figure.

While Naruto didn't particularly care about humans as a whole, the ones on his lands were under his protection and to attack them without his consent was tantamount to stealing from Naruto himself; clearly these bats had a death-wish.

"Thank you, Taichi. You may retire for the evening," Naruto said dismissively as he made his way through the village that surrounded his castle. He had intended to take care of some internal affairs today, but it would seem he had a rodent problem to take care of.

"Orochimaru!" Naruto called out once he reached the gates of his castle. Moments later, a pale, snake-like man appeared kneeling before him.

"Yes, my lord?" Naruto motioned for the man to stand. The pale man may not have been the most social of people and many were afraid of him, but he was powerful and, above all else, unquestionably loyal.

"I need you to handle things around here for a while so that I can take care of a few things; I should be back within the month." Naruto explained. Orochimaru made no protest and merely bowed his head with a calm "as you wish, my lord."

* * *

"Are you sure it was wise to leave Orochimaru in charge, Lord Naruto?" Kurama asked as he accompanied the blond demon to the western coastline where the demon bats were supposed to be.

**"Relax, furball. The snake may be weird, but he can handle things well enough."**

"I didn't ask for your opinion, fang-face." Kurama growled out. Naruto kept his eyes closed and continued to walk as Kurama and So'unga continued their usual bickering. 'Maybe I should have stayed asleep' Naruto internally mused.

"If you two are done bickering, we have a job to do," Naruto interrupted as he could see the coastline on the horizon. With Kurama and So'unga no longer arguing, the group continued on in silence until they reached the outskirts of the village along the coastline. Kurama growled when he noticed the state the village was in; several homes were on fire, children were crying, and the scent of blood was thick in the air.

"They're all gonna die," Naruto said through gritted teeth as he looked toward a cave on a small island just off the coastline. Feeling a tug on his hakama, Naruto looked down to see a little girl looking up at him with tears in her eyes. Letting his glare soften, Naruto knelt down and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"What's the matter, young one?" Naruto asked as he wiped away the tear that had found its way down the girl's cheek. The girl sniffled and rubbed at her eyes.

"T-they took my daddy," the girl whimpered as the dam seemed to break and the tears began to flow from the young girl's eyes. Naruto ran his fingers through her hair and shushed her softly as he brought a tail forward to wrap around the girl comfortingly. After a few minutes, the girl seemed to calm down as she snuggled into the warmth of the soft tail wrapped around her.

Don't worry; I'm gonna get your daddy back, okay?" Naruto assured her as he picked the girl up and set her on Kurama's back. Kurama shot Naruto a withering look, but made no move to protest. The girl wiped her eyes again and nodded with a small smile as she wrapped her arms around Kurama's neck and they made their way into the village.

"Miho!" a middle-aged woman called out as she rushed over and took the girl from the large fox demon's back. Turning to Naruto, she bowed deeply. "Thank you, lord Naruto; I've been looking for her everywhere." Naruto merely waved the woman off and made his way toward the path leading to the cave where his prey was.

"Ready to clean house, So'unga?" Naruto asked as he unsheathed his sword. So'unga hummed his approval as a dark energy began to swirl about his blade. Raising the sword above his head, Naruto brought it down with a cry of "Dragon Twister!" as a veritable tornado of dark energy spiraled toward the nearby island. Once it reached the midway point, it made contact with a red barrier before shattering it like glass. With nothing else impeding it, the vortex of destruction continued its path until it tore into the large land mass and ripped a large fissure in the side of it before continuing out to sea.

The villagers all stared in awe at the destructive power of the seemingly effortless attack. Naruto merely waited for the inevitable as one-by-one, bat demons made their way out of the cave. After several dozen bats had made their way into the open, the one Naruto was waiting for finally made his appearance.

"How dare you break our barrier!" a larger bat demon shouted angrily as he glared at Naruto. Kurama growled in outrage that this trespasser would dare to speak to his lord in such a way. Naruto himself was having a hard time holding back a snarl as he clenched his fists tightly.

"You trash…" he said just loud enough to be heard. "You come into MY land, attack MY people **and you DARE to speak to me as if you were my equal?!" **Naruto growled out as youki was leaking off of him in waves. Kurama backed away slowly and urged the civilians to do the same. An angry Naruto was one thing; but a livid Naruto was a nightmare you did NOT want to get close to.

**"I'm not going to kill you," **Naruto growled out as he stabbed So'unga into the ground and draped his cuirass and kimono over him as he stepped away. Kurama shivered when he saw the tribal markings begin to spread across his exposed torso and the usually thin markings on his cheeks thickened.

**"I'm going to destroy you!" **With that said, Naruto vanished. Before anyone could wonder where he went, a blood-curdling scream tore through the air as Naruto ripped the wings from one of the bat demons before, much to everyone's horror, he began to systematically rip the man to shreds. The others could do nothing but watch in morbid fascination as what was once their comrade was rendered into little more than a blood-drenched pile of shredded flesh. The brutality didn't end there as Naruto reared his head back before roaring and unleashing a wave of demonic energy from his mouth that reduced the pile to nothing; any sign that the man had ever even existed was wiped away in an instant.

"W-what is that?" one of the villagers asked as he tried and failed to stop the insistent shaking of his legs.

"THAT is what happens when Lord Naruto gets pissed off," Kurama said as he continued to watch while Naruto used his tails and claws to rip the horde of bat demons to shreds. Several tried to retreat, but never got very far before finding themselves skewered on a golden tail. What felt like hours of gore to those watching, was really only a handful of minutes as Naruto continued to mutilate the trespassing demons until only 2 remained. Their leader, Taigokumaru, and a little girl that he was holding like a shield while firing sonic blasts from his mouth.

**"Hiding behind a child; you're pathetic," **Naruto spat as he knocked the incoming attacks aside as if he were swatting flies. **"At least now you show yourself to be the pathetic, insignificant worm that you are." **Taigokumaru growled as he commanded the girl in his arms to put up a barrier or he would kill her mother. Obeying the order, the girl cried as she surrounded them in a red barrier. Taigokumaru let out a triumphant laugh.

"Good girl, Shiori. What will you do now, oh great _demon king_," the large bat demon asked sarcastically as he continued to laugh. "You left your weapon behind and now you have no way of attacking m-" the man's rant was ended prematurely when one of Naruto's tails tore through the barrier like butter and severed his right arm and wing, causing them to plummet to the ground below.

**"You honestly believed that a barrier would save you?" **Naruto asked rhetorically as he approached the downed demon who was screaming in pain. **"You were already dead the moment you crossed me."** Taigokumaru could do nothing but shout his agony to the world as Naruto began to rip away his flesh, piece by piece. Naruto smirked sadistically when the bat demon actually begged him for death; it was like music to his ears. Nevertheless, death would not find anyone that slighted him so easily and he would make sure that, even in death, this scum would suffer for his transgressions.

Just as Taigokumaru felt his eyes drifting shut and thought the nightmare was ending, his eyes snapped open when he felt a searing pain in his chest. Looking up with a horrified expression, he saw that Naruto had ripped his heart out and, in his final moments, watched as he crushed it in his hand.

* * *

"Lord Naruto!" Kurama called out after the blond fox demon finished washing himself off. By the time he had finished with Taigokumaru, he had been completely drenched in blood and desperately needed to clean himself off. The villagers had thanked him repeatedly and asked if there was anything they could do, but he just waved them off and told them he needed a bath.

"Relax, Kurama; I'm fine," he said calmly as he pulled on his kimono and cuirass before sheathing So'unga once again. Kurama nodded as he fell into step next to Naruto and they made their way to their next destination.

**"Why did you get to have all the fun while I just sat in the damn sand? All I got to do was break a stupid barrier," **So'unga groaned in disappointment. Kurama just rolled his eyes and held back the urge to argue with the sentient sword again.

"Don't worry, So'unga; you'll get to have some entertainment soon I'm sure."

"Speaking of which, where are we off to now, my lord?" Kurama asked as they continued to make their way north.

"We're going to the western plains; we received reports several days ago that the panther tribe had been sending scouts into the area, so we're going to check on things and I'd like to finally meet my old friend's daughter.

**"So basically it's a booty call,"** So'unga chimed in. Naruto stopped in his tracks and looked down at his sword with a flat glare.

"Maybe I should have just left you in that damn well," Naruto stated dryly.

"I couldn't agree more," Kurama snickered earning a growl from So'unga.

**"You can be a real bastard sometimes you know that? It was just a joke." **Naruto just shrugged as he continued his way north.

"I maintain my previous statement." Naruto responded with a smirk causing So'unga to grumble about "asshole foxes".

* * *

[Several hours later]

"So how do you plan on finding the general's daughter, my lord?" Kurama asked. Naruto stopped to ponder this for a moment as he took in his surroundings. They had crossed the border between territories roughly an hour ago and the sun was beginning its decent beyond the horizon as he stood high above the plains at the edge of a cliff.

"Like this," Naruto responded as he reared his head back and let loose a deafening roar similar to when he had first awoken.

**"…real subtle" **So'unga commented dryly. Naruto ignored the comment as he awaited the inevitable and, sure enough, he could feel several presences approaching him.

"Who goes there?!" a gravelly voice demanded from the base of the cliff.

"I'm looking for Sesshomaru; where can I find her?" Naruto called down to what looked like some breed of dog demon as a few smaller demons gathered at his sides.

"Why should I tell some trespasser where lord Sesshomaru is?" the dog demon scoffed. Naruto's eyebrow twitched in irritation; he really hated having his demands ignored by such lesser demons. Stepping over the ledge, Naruto began to plummet to the ground below. Some of the demons below saw his swift approach as a threat and drew their weapons in an effort to defend themselves.

Kurama sighed as he leapt after his lord. "I'm not cleaning up the mess if he kills them."

Naruto's swift descent was halted several inches above the ground by a gust of wind that forced the gathered demons to shield their eyes from the kicked-up dirt. Stepping from the air as if he were walking down an invisible flight of stairs, Naruto slowly approached the ones who had the information he needed.

"Get him!" a decidedly lizard-like demon called out as he rushed Naruto with his sword, followed closely by the others. The only one who remained where he stood was the dog demon who had first responded; his eyes were wide as he noticed the flowing golden tails and piercing, crimson eyes.

"Stop you fools!" he called out, but it was too late; as soon as the group got close, they were immediately torn to shreds by an unseen force. Naruto calmly brushed the dirt from his kimono before walking over the corpses as if they were never there to begin with. Seeing the powerful demon advancing on him once more, the dog demon immediately dropped to his knees and pressed his head to the ground.

"Forgive me lord Naruto; I did not know it was you." The nine-tailed demon lord's eyes narrowed as he stopped in front of the demon groveling at his feet. After a moment, Naruto raised his foot before bringing it down on the back of the demon's head and pressing his face further into the ground.

"I won't ask again; Where. Is. Sesshomaru?" Naruto demanded as he punctuated each word by applying more pressure to the demon's head. Hearing him mumble into the dirt, Naruto moved his foot and flipped the man onto his back.

"To the east! She's moving east!" he immediately answered as he coughed up some dirt. Without another word, Naruto began walking with the setting sun beaming down upon his back. Ignoring the sputtering dog demon, Kurama rushed to his lord's side.

"So I'm guessing she's on her way to take care of the panther demons?" Kurama wondered aloud. Naruto nodded his agreement as they continued their journey intent on finding Sesshomaru.

"More than likely; perhaps we will get to have some fun with the panther demon tribe." Naruto said as he could only hope that there was someone among the old enemies of his friend to provide him a bit of a challenge.

**"You better not hog them all to yourself this time; I want some action, too."**

"Yeah yeah, you'll get your turn," Naruto said with a roll of his eyes. It's not like there would be much for them to do; the panther king was long dead.

* * *

"…"

**"…"**

"…Kurama, I thought you said the panther king was dead," Naruto said in a tone laced with confusion. The confusion was understandable however as they were currently staring at a 50-foot-tall panther demon in black armor that was supposed to be dead.

"He _was_ dead, but apparently he didn't stay dead," Kurama responded with his own confusion; how the hell did the leader of the panther tribe come back to life? Naruto was about to comment, but his attention was drawn elsewhere when there was a loud crash and he looked over to see Inuyasha confronting the panther king with a very familiar sword in his hands.

'Looks like the pup finally inherited his father's sword, but where is Sesshomaru?' Setting his thoughts aside for now, Naruto leapt into the air and made his way to the battlefield.

* * *

Inuyasha groaned as he held back a giant paw with his sword; he was still pissed off that this bastard had sacrificed his own people just so he could come back to life and now he has to fight this guy who was supposed to be on the level of his father? He was NOT having a good day. His eyes widened as he saw the claws of the beast's other hand fast-approaching and his sword was still occupied. Just as he was about to try and jump back, a gale of dark energy suddenly collided with the panther demon's shoulder and severed the arm before it could reach him.

"Having some trouble, pup?" Naruto asked with a smirk as he appeared next to Inuyasha with So'unga held over his shoulder.

"Ugh, what the hell are _you_ doing here?" Inuyasha asked with a groan as he glared at the golden-haired demon.

"I just happened to be going for a walk when I saw this adorable little puppy getting bullied by a filthy alley-cat and decided to help him out." Naruto easily side-stepped the enraged swing Inuyasha took at him as he tried to keep himself from laughing; this kid was just way too easy to rile up.

"Get the hell out of here! I can handle this guy on my own," Inuyasha declared defiantly. Naruto just raised an amused eyebrow as he stared at the silver-haired half-demon.

"Oh? So I guess you're totally prepared for that?" Naruto asked, much to Inuyasha's confusion. Before he could ask what Naruto was talking about, Inuyasha was knocked away by a bolt of lightning that impacted the ground in front of him. Grabbing the dazed half-demon by his collar, Naruto tossed him to the strangely-dresses girl he remembered seeing with him before who looked like she was about to have a heart attack.

"Get him out of here; he'll just get in the way," Naruto said as he turned back to face the panther demon. Inuyasha wanted to protest, but a glare from Kagome made him think otherwise as the two made their way toward where their friends were currently battling other members of the panther demon tribe.

"Time to go wild, So'unga."

**"Finally!"** the sentient sword called out joyfully as his blade was surrounded by a vortex of purple energy. Naruto's grip tightened in anticipation as the panther king stood once more and his arm seemed to have grown back somehow.

"Well if it isn't the so-called 'demon king'," the panther tribe leader spat sarcastically. "Do you honestly think you can beat me when I have the power of the sacred jewel flowing through me?"

"Wow, you're _actually_ dumber than you look; that's impressive in its own way I suppose considering how dumb you look in the first place," Naruto mocked.

"I'll show you who the real king is you bastard!" the oversized cat growled as he lashed out with his claws in an effort to impale the nine-tailed demon who insulted him. With a flick of his wrist, Naruto severed the approaching fingers with a bored expression. Watching with mild interest, Naruto saw as the severed fingers regrew in a matter of seconds.

"Interesting," Naruto mused aloud as he held So'unga in front of him with an excited grin. "Let's see what else you can grow back, shall we?"

* * *

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the woman across from her; Toran's ice was really starting to get annoying.

**"Graaaahhhhhh"**

Sesshomaru turned toward the castle at the sound of the pained cry; did her foolish little brother actually manage to stop the leader of the panther tribe?

"Master!" Toran shouted as she rushed past Sesshomaru to make her way to her apparently-wounded leader. Sesshomaru stared after her with narrowed eyes for a moment before she too began to make her way toward the source of the pained cry.

* * *

"I have to admit, that regeneration is impressive, but it doesn't make much of a difference if you don't have the strength to back it up," Naruto commented as he slowly approached the bisected panther demon with So'unga held at his side. The battlefield was a veritable ocean of blood and flesh in a gory testament to the amount of times the giant cat had been cut down. For a while it had been amusing to continuously lop off the oversized cat's limbs and listen to his pained grunts and moans, but it was beginning to lose its enjoyment so Naruto had separated the panther king at the waist to see what would happen.

"I guess that regeneration has its limits as well; you can't fix that much damage can you?" Naruto asked rhetorically. The panther king refused to admit his defeat as lightning gathered in his open maw for what seemed like a last-ditch effort to take Naruto down in one blow. Naruto closed his eyes as energy once again gathered into So'unga's blade. Naruto just continued to stand there with his eyes closed without the slightest hint of worry as he felt the energy continue to pool into the impending attack.

"Master!" the voice of Toran cried out just before the mass of lightning was unleashed upon its motionless victim. Snapping his eyes open, a red pigment shadowed Naruto's eyes as energy seemingly exploded out of So'unga in a violent whirlwind.

Watching the lightning approach with a disinterested look, Naruto moved his arm forward as So'unga unleashed an enormous dragon twister. The lightning was immediately swallowed up by the ripping winds as it continued forward undeterred and unleashed its wrath upon the landscape; chunks of earth were torn from the ground and the surrounding castle was torn to shreds by the violent winds. Toran, who had been standing off to the side with a look of horror on her face, was thrown away like a ragdoll in a tornado while Sesshomaru, who had shown up in time to see the attack, tore a trench in the ground as she attempted to hold her ground with her sword.

When the metaphorical smoke finally cleared, there was nothing left of the panther tribe leader; just a canyon-sized trench in the ground that looked like it stretched on for miles, which it very well might have. Without turning, Naruto held So'unga over his shoulder to block the incoming swing as blade met blade.

Turning to regard his attacker, Naruto's eyes widened as crimson met gold; everything else faded away as he stared into pools of liquid gold that were so familiar, and yet he had never met this woman before. Letting his eyes take in more, they saw familiar skin of a creamy white, the oh-so-familiar crescent moon marking her forehead, and the elegant facial features of a woman born to rule. Unlike the face he remembers however, her cheeks were not adorned by a single marking of a gentle purple hue.

Instead, each cheek was marked by 2 stripes of a sharp magenta with a single line of the same shade shadowing her eyes. Flowing silver hair framed her face in a mesmerizing way that made it difficult for him not to reach out.

Sesshomaru was in a similar state of captivation as she took in the lightly-bronzed skin, whisker-like markings and sharp, angular facial features framed by the most amazing shade of golden hair she had ever seen. But those eyes; pools of crimson that washed over her like crashing waves of dominance and power, yet retained a soft edge to them as they seemed to see through to her very essence. It was both unnerving and thrilling at the same time.

It was as if someone had pressed play to restart time as they both lowered their swords with a bizarre synchronicity.

"Who are you?"

* * *

A/N: I was gonna go a bit longer, but felt like this was a pretty good spot to stop; otherwise I probably wouldn't have gotten this out until next weekend when I got some more time to write. Anyways, let me know what you think. Also, I wouldn't advise jumping to conclusions about how this first meeting is going to turn out; it probably won't go how you're thinking it will.


End file.
